The “Jesus” the World Hates
“The world doesn’t hate the baby Jesus, they hate the man Jesus.” ~ Pastor Josh Lancaster
Wow – what a statement from our pulpit last Sunday morning. This thought had never crossed my mind and it was a little startling to me.
Even Ricky Bobby (from Talladega Nights movie) honored the “dear Lord Baby Jesus”. Ok, don’t judge me :).
Think about it…everyone can get a little misty-eyed over a new born baby being birthed in lowly circumstances. The starry night, the wise men, the shepherds, and angels singing “Glory to God in the Highest” are part of most Christmas cards and decorations. Babies are harmless and sweet, right?
The world is really ok with the Jesus who healed the sick, raised the dead, and gave sight to the blind.
However, when Jesus begins to address the inward sins of humanity, not just the external behaviors, crowds turned on Him. They hated Him because he would not be the political leader (or king) they all thought He should be. They hated Him for claiming He was God. They hated Him for revealing that salvation doesn’t just change external behaviors, but internal thoughts of the heart.
So what started as ohhh’ing and ahhh’ing over a sweet baby in a manger ended with scourging, beating, and crucifying this very same Jesus.
The true identification of a Christian is not how much we honor the baby Jesus. It is more about our obedience to being crucified with Christ daily. It is about surrendering our will for His. It is about a “follow me” kind of life.
The manger without the cross leaves us in a sad situation. As you peer into the manger of baby Jesus, look obediently to the cross of Christ.
